critique my restoration

[n8]

I stumble upon a pic of some random kid...probably taken some 28 years ago by his photog dad...who knows...and decided to try my correction skills since I spend most of my time degrading perfectly good images.
As a side note, I'd didn't scan this in, its a picture of a picture using my incredible (phone).

[llewpics]

In general, very nice ...the only nit pick that I have is that the face in the original seemed to have some nice "non white" detail, whereas the new seems to have taken in to the white extreme ...if you can bring some of the face highlights back ...it would be great.

By the way, that is a great portrait ...if the kid did turn in a photographer ...priceless.

[n8]

Ill have to see what I can do about the face...good call.
I'm pretty sure he did grow up to be something of a shutter bug...even followed dads affinity for nikons ;-)

[draymorton]

Nicely done considering the source material, Nate. And a priceless shot, btw. The first things that jump out at me, though, are that a) the highlights are gone and b) there are sharpening artifacts. You picked a toughie and did pretty well.

[jetrim]

n8 overall this seems very green (my only nitpick) Try going into Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom and doing an auto white balance off the shaded part of the shoulder as it appears that was originally a neutral gray or silver. I think you'll like the result.

[gahspidy]

I think you did fine work here, n8 I agree with Jim that there is much green in here. His idea will work or just adding a bit magenta in the color balance.

[n8]

Thanks guys. I think I always tend to leave things on the green side.

[LeeIs]

I think you've done a great job. It was a tough one. i think some of the original tones have been lost forever. so u done well.

[n8]

the funny thing is, after I looked at it again yesterday, it looks like between the lamp and my cell phone, it may have looked a lot worse then it actually was!

[GB1]

Overall it is definitely an improvement over the original in terms of color, sharpness, and contrast. Success on that.

Taking a more critical view, what I find a bit rough on my eyes is the somewhat 'rounded' look inherent with extreme post-processing. I'm not sure how to explain what I mean by rounded, but perhaps it is the contrast between the highs, which are slightly blown out and detail-less in this one (see the cheeks), and the sharp transition to darker areas.

I think that the current state of editing software is what causes this, and that we're sort of stuck there until technology improves.

G